Sarkis
Of Armenian origin, meaning "he who loves people".
Name Census estimates that about 750 living Americans carry the first name Sarkis. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sarkis today is around 28 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sarkis births was 1992 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sarkis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
750
~ 1 in 457,006 Americans
Peak year
1992
27 babies that year
Average age
28
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,629
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Sarkis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sarkis from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 216 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sarkis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sarkis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sarkis' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island recorded the most babies named Sarkis, while Rhode Island, Massachusetts, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 171 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sarkis
The name Sarkis has its origins in the Armenian language and culture. It is a variation of the name Sargis, which is derived from the ancient Persian name Sarkash, meaning "rebel" or "one who resists authority." The name Sarkis is believed to have been in use since the early days of Christianity in Armenia, which dates back to the 4th century AD.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sarkis can be found in the works of the 5th-century Armenian historian and scholar, Movses Khorenatsi. He mentions a figure named Sarkis in his historical work, "The History of Armenia." This suggests that the name was in use among Armenians during the early medieval period.
Throughout Armenian history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Sarkis. One of the most renowned was Sarkis Balkhants, a 10th-century Armenian prince and military commander who played a crucial role in the defense of the Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan against the invasions of the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Caliphate.
Another prominent figure was Sarkis Aghvank, a 12th-century Armenian philosopher and theologian who made significant contributions to the development of Armenian scholastic thought. His works, including commentaries on the Bible and philosophical treatises, had a lasting impact on Armenian intellectual traditions.
In the realm of literature, Sarkis Khanjian (1835-1891) was a renowned Armenian poet and writer who played a pivotal role in the development of modern Armenian literature. His poetic works, which often explored themes of national identity and social justice, earned him widespread recognition and influenced subsequent generations of Armenian writers.
The name Sarkis also appeared in religious contexts. Saint Sarkis the Warrior, a 4th-century Armenian martyr and patron saint of love and youth, is celebrated annually on February 23rd in the Armenian Apostolic Church. His legend and story have been passed down through generations, and he is widely revered within the Armenian Christian tradition.
Another notable figure was Sarkis Balkhian (1884-1983), a prominent Armenian architect and urban planner who played a crucial role in the development of modern architecture in Armenia. His designs, which combined elements of traditional Armenian architecture with modern styles, left a lasting impact on the urban landscape of Yerevan and other Armenian cities.
These examples illustrate the rich historical significance and cultural resonance of the name Sarkis within the Armenian tradition, spanning various fields such as military leadership, philosophy, literature, religion, and architecture.
People
Sarkis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sarkis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sarkis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sarkis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 750 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sarkis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 457,006 US residents.
Is Sarkis a common name?
We classify Sarkis as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 949 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sarkis most popular?
The single biggest year for Sarkis was 1992, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sarkis is about 28 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sarkis a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sarkis in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.